John r



(No Model.)

J. R. CUMMINGS.

PRINTING BLOCK.

No. 369,632. Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

WITNESSES,

N FEYERE, PhmwLitktgrapher. Wflhinglol. D. C.

JOHN R. CUMMINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO.

PRlNTING BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,632, dated September 6, 1887. Application filed December 22, 1885. Serial No. 186,440. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Blocks; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it IO appcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a certain improvement in stereotype, or a base-block for supporting stereotype-plates or electrotype-shells, consisting of a metal base having grooves in :5 its face, in which are secured strips of wood or other suitable material, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved block. Fig.

2 is a front elevation of a. modification of my invention, showing the wooden strips secured to the sides of the metal base-block.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a metal base-block of a width equal to the width of the plate to be mounted upon it. The face of block A is grooved, as at a a, Fig. 1, and into these grooves are fitted strips, 1) b, of wood or other suitable material into which a nail, tack, "brad, or screw may be easily in 33 sorted for securing the plate or shell to the base-block. When these strips become unfit for further use, they can be readily removed and others substituted. Stripsb b may be made to run across the column, instead of up and 5 down the column.

A well-known objection to the use of a wooden base is that it swells or shrinks and becomes of improper size, and an equally forcible objection to the use of a base made wholly of metal is the difficulty ofinserting the nail, 4o brad, or, screw, to say nothing of the marring of the surface of the base by such repeated insertions. By my invention these objections are overcome.

In Fig. 2, I have represented a modification of my invention. By the construction-therein shown the base-block Ais made narrower than the plate or shell to be attached, and the strips b are secured to its sides, these strips being of just sufficient thickness to make the base of the desired width.

Having thus described inyinventioinwhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an article of manufacture, abase block for supporting stereotype-plates or electrotype-shells, consisting of a metal base provided with attached strips of wood or other suitable soft material, the tops of said strips being flush with the top of the base, snbstan 6o tially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. As an article of manufacture, a baseblock for supporting stereotype-plates or electrotype-shells, consisting of a metal base having 6 grooves in its face, in which are secured strips of wood or other suitable material, substantially as described, and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN It. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

HORACE WHITE, EDWARD G. PAULING. 

